Morning Bell: Obama Will Make You Pay More at the Pump

“What do you say to people who are losing patience with gas prices at $3 a gallon? And how much of a political price do you think you’re paying for that, right now?” This was a question asked of the president at a press conference in August…of 2006. The president was George W. Bush. In fact, it was a question that was asked in one way or another regularly during the entire eight years of the Bush presidency, regardless of where energy prices stood at that moment.

In May 2004, The New York Times reported that congressional Democrats “were stepping up pressure on the Bush Administration to ease gasoline prices,” when prices were still under $2/gallon. In April 2005, at another press conference, a journalist stated: “Mr. President a majority of Americans disapprove of your handling of social security, gas prices…” In 2006, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) exclaimed: “Since George Bush and Dick Cheney took over as president and vice president, gas prices have doubled…They are too cozy with the oil industry” after she drove one less-than-energy-efficient block to a press conference at a local Exxon station.

In 2008, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “blasted” the president for rising gas prices on his (and her) watch. In July 2008, ABC News asked the president what was his “short term advice for Americans about gas prices?” repeating a nearly identical question asked at a February 2008 press conference. In April 2008, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said gas prices were “the number one issue facing America today.”

Now this week, analysts including former president of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister, say Americans could be paying $5/gallon of gasoline by 2012. Investment banks are predicting a return to $100/barrel oil, and OPEC is refusing to raise production. All of this news would be less frightening if the White House were focusing on potential ways to lower energy prices. Instead, President Obama is admittedly fixated with raising them.

Just last week (as frigid temperatures and blizzards blasted Europe and the U.S.), the EPA announced that it will begin regulating power plants and oil refineries in an attempt to curb global warming. The new regulations will seek to cut greenhouse gas emissions by making it more expensive to turn fossil fuels into energy. And Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced that the Bureau of Land Management would issue new rules making it harder to develop natural resources on government-owned land. These measures will not only drive up the cost of electricity and gasoline but will also make us more dependent on foreign sources of energy.

In October, President Obama “lifted” the moratorium, but since then has issued almost no new permits. In late November, his administration effectively issued a seven-year ban on drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and across the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. We’re not even talking about ANWR anymore; these are publicly and politically accepted areas of drilling. These actions, of course, increase our reliance on foreign oil, which as OPEC points out, will only become more expensive in the near future.

Finally, this all spells disaster for the jobs market. Higher energy prices translate into higher costs for small businesses, which cause less hiring. Energy producers are moving platforms out of U.S. waters rather than have multi-million dollar assets sit idle as the president destroys an industry. And local businesses and retailers who service this industry along the coast are losing money and employees, if not entirely shutting down.

President Obama knows energy prices are skyrocketing. The liberal mantra has long been to disincentivize Americans from purchasing cheap fossil fuels, by driving costs up. Because the only way consumers will choose the vastly-more-expensive wind and solar alternatives is if all prices are high, rather than wait for the market to bring alternative prices down. This is a reckless and devastating way to make a point about global warming at the expense of American families.

Rory Cooper is Director of Strategic Communications at The Heritage Foundation. In this position, Cooper coordinates the think tank’s external message and internal communications, manages its entire digital communications and social media portfolios, and develops new media partnerships. Cooper also serves as the executive editor for The Foundry, the conservative policy news blog at Heritage.

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Liberals, with huge help from the mainstream media, unfairly blamed Bush for every disaster and tied Cheney to "big oil". Yet, the same Democrat politicians and journalists continue to coddle, excuse, or under report the mistakes of Obama.

Thankfully, the Heritage Foundation provides readers with critical information and facts. It is essential that those of us who know these truths reveal them to all those we know. The health of our nation depends upon it.

The United States has more oil than it can effectively extract. It is oozing out of the ocean near shorelines. It is oozing out of the earth in various places from coast to coast. We have hundreds of years of oil available at current use. More if we can use that oil more efficiently. But why do we need to go to countries that would rather see us in collapse to get it? The United States Federal Government.

This is not about protecting the environment. The federal workforce is on a daily effort to work against the interest and benefit of the American citizenry. You mentioned several federal departments all employed by very well off federal employees. It is they who craft the regulations they then in turn implement to 1) justify their pointless jobs, 2) pad their own pockets, and 3) justify increasing the federal employee numbers in each of their offices, and 4) make it near impossible for any private sector company to profit extracting oil.

This causes economic woes, which then cascades to the need for more government. It causes increases in fuel prices, which also creates a need for more government. It creates more and more need which creates more government. Their actions are to benefit themselves at the massive cost to the rest of us. As always, the federal government thrives on American failure. The only product of the federal government is ensuring America is in a perpetual state of decline so they are able to maintain their self defined purpose.

They have created massive bureaucracies that prevent progress in America – oil production is no exception. Out of failure in dealing with the Oil Spill we discovered the subsequent corruption and ineptitude within the MMS. We then learned that Obama rewarded their ineptitude by making that one department into two even larger departments complete with two separate high paid administrations.

If the federal workforce (as in just about every case) just got out of the way, oil production could go into overdrive and we would have an economy – nearly over night. However, that would hurt the federal workforce. Therefore, until we can change the way the federal government works, we will see $5 gas very soon! The thugs are in charge and they are bringing us to our knees for their own wealth, privilege and prosperity. This is no coincidence: their incomes have gone up 32% since 9/11/01, while ours have gone down 5%!

The cost of gas has been on the mind of obama from the start, all he has done is look for ways to drive up the price. The dems want gas to be the same as it is in europe. Looks like they have achieved their goal, gas is above $3.00 per gallon. The new epa rules will cause bread to reach $5.00 per loaf, milk will be a thing of the past, as will lots of other staples we have taken for granted. We the people have sat on our butts and allowed all of this to happen, we put liberals in charge.

A great article and another clear indicator of how this administration is weakening America and creating undue hardship for all of us. Until some viable alternative fuel can be developed we have to depend on fosil fuels, so, why does it become have to be so difficult. This Administration is creating so much unnecessary pain and suffering it is beyond comprehension; it's really hypocratical for them to always talk about the middle class and how concerned they are, yet every chance they get they push the middle class lower on the totem pole. I guess all of this really shows that the current administration is either so stupid, mismanaged or they are really trying to turn America into a second rate banana republic. I just wonder when gas gets to about $4 per gallon if the administrion will be able to stand the heat.

I have written my state congressman and state senator, (Crisafili & Haridopolus) on the subject of exploring for oil in Floridat State waters. Response from Crisafuli was that the legislature is very cool to have have dicussions on this subject. Haridopolus thanked me for my inquiry.

US Senator Bill Nelson responded with a standard line of how many thosands of acres have been approved for exploration and the oil companies have not used them.

Government is in the way and know it!!!!

I have not tried to contact Marco Rubio yet on this subject.

We will have oil exporation and drilling off the coast of Florida and it will be Castro doing it.

I hope that your're not just preaching to the choire but somehow are getting the message to all the demacrats in all the land. The information in your article combined with the price paid at the pump will provide Obama with a defeat at the polls in 2012.

oil prices are the result of qe1 and 2 if you look at the fall of the dollar you see a rise in oil/ reckless spending along with the facts stated in this article combine for the prices we see at the pump/ drill baby drill and let the markets choose the winners and losers not the people in power who no nothing about free enterprize/

Energy prices SHOULD rise. There's no question that they've been held artificially low by government credits and subsidies – if government-sponsored health care is evil, than so are government-sponsored energy subsidies, right?

Obama continues his march to destroy America, while American's stand by and watch. What does it take to get this country to get off their rear and do smething? What does the stupid liberal media expect to gain by ignoring the truth and lying to the people?

I am hoping the new congress will open a full investigation into POTUS and ALL his so called advisors and bring charges of treason against him. He is determined to bring this country to it's knees, his actions have shown how he hates to country he swore to protect. Between BHO, Pelosi and Reid we have seen the economy continually go down, jobs are none existant and COLA's are denied while the COL is rising steadily and will continue as all raises in the fuel are past on to us all not only at the gas pump but in the grocery stores and everywhere else.

Why not kill two birds with one stone. Higher gas prices literally means less productivity and less incentitive to invest. People are not going to invest in something that they do not see as lucrative or cost effective for the monies they use for purchasing. As a starter, how about providing solar energy panels on all new residential housing? This will be an investment in the long run for the younger people who will be the future of the home ownership market and as the costs go down the incentive to invest in solar will go up. Making the current cost of energy rise to achieve a point is outright criminal. In the interim, study the dynamics of natural gas and go forward.

Obama does not see it as a problem he has always said he was going to make changes and he has. If you look he has been taken all over the world on the tax payers dime and he is out of touch as to what anything cost or how hard it is to make it . Not usre how many vacations you have had in 2 years but I am up to 3 days in 2 years and I have not played golf or basketball I think going to church is high on my list then games, we are what we eat and we have been feed a rotten meal and we will get sick and with gas at 5.00 a gallon by 2012 many will have to choice between food electric and gas jusy to live in the USA and thats if you have a job and if all lines up in the bad line no money no job no friends to help you you will have to pick ac in the summer or gas to drive to get food, heater in the winter or gas to get food some will not be able to live because the government that was to protect us is killing us a sad day for America

Obama has two more years, possibly six more, since he is already beginning his re-election campaign. The scary thing is that there are probably enough uninformed Americans who will vote to re-elect him. It is clear that Obama's goal is to destroy our economy toward a one-world government. Nothing he has accomplished so far will benefit America. I believe the new Republican majority in the House will be too little, too late. I am also concerned that too many of the Republicans in the House will be too weak in their conservative convictions to make a difference. Number one priority should be to repeal Obamacare. God bless America!

As I said yesterday, What we have here is,in a real sense is a Dictatorship. The president through his :czars: creates regulations with the force of laws. These are Edicts.They bypass congress and the will of the people{masses}. WE no longer have a republic. We now live in a Dictatorship. There is simply no otherway to define it!!

Unfortunately if the prices soar I as a Owner/Operator Trucker I can assure every american that prices will soar on everything you buy from a tomato to a new home.As all know the trucking industry has been regulated to death with new EPA standards on motors to burn off the carbons to the aerodynamics of the tractors and trailers for higher fuel economy but even with all that the trucks still can only average about 7-8 miles per gallon if you average that to a typical 1,200 mile run at 7.5 mpg thats 160 gallons burned at the price right now is about $3.19 a gallon about $510.00 in fuel if gas prices go up diesel will surpass those by about .30 cents a gallon so lets look to the future at $5.00 a gallon that same run now would cost $800.00 $290.00 more in the long run that extra cash will be charged to the consumer.As of now my tractor averages 6.5 per gallon with the last few years I have been making less due to the economy by a average of $400.00 a week that comes out of my bottom line used for repairs to the truck and savings for a new truck but as you can see i cannot afford a new truck that gets better fuel economy yet.Americans cannot think that this will end with fuel prices it will not.Thanks Dan

House Republicans should defund/eliminate the Energy Department. After all it was set up to reduce the price of oil/gas, eliminate lines at gas stations (shortages) and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Has it worked? I guess not. Now we are helping fund terrorists with our purchase of Saudi oil, reduced our ability to get at our own oil and created one of the biggest leaches in the federal government. Anything less than eliminating this tax sucking monster would be a deriliction of duty.

This is all part of the plan Obama and all those that worship the ground he walks on….DESTROY THE USA…TRANSFORM THE USA.

My fear is that the patience of the American people is wearing thin. My fear that something very "ugly" might transpire. BO, Reid, and the majority of the dems are NOT listening to the American people. Obama has NO RESPECT for the Constitution of the United States of Ameirca. He has NO RESPECT for the American people. He WANTS this country to fail. He is gradually showing his true colors as dictator not president. He should be tried for treason for "selling out" the United States of America

The Congressional Republicans (and/or conservatives) need to stiffen their spines significantly after being bamboozled by Obama on the tax extension "compromise" (read: hoodwinking). Cut Obama's purse strings until he yells "uncle!"

It's the only thing any politician, particularly Dems, understands.

And pray that the Tea Partiers do not lose their enthusiasm between now and 2012!

Article 4, Section 3, of the Constitution of the United States; "Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States…"

How can a lackey ( Ken Salazaar) under the Executive Department be allowed to violate his oath of office and usurp powers granted to Congress. The Deptartment of Interior is supposed to execute the Rules and Regulatios made by Congress, not make the rules, thus violating the Seperation of Powers.

We the people should prosecute such behavior as traaitorous to the people Mr. Salazaar has sworn a duty to protect. A guilty verdict and public hanging would serve the purpose of keeping other corrupt officials in line with the Constitution.

I found your article useful and planned to send it to a liberal friend until I found two errors. Gas prices in 2008 were over $3.00 so your statement that they were the highest in history at $3.00 in December 2010 is incorrect. Also, disincentive is a noun. You need a verb, disincentivize, if there is such a word.

Osama, I can't even refer to him as president, because he not president, he and the progressive democrats and Republicans are the destroyers of the soverenty of the USA, by all of Obama's actions. Obama is pulling us into the Dark Age's, Obama is going to make it impossiable for we the people to live our lifes with out Big Brother telling what we can do and what we can't do, and he is getting away with it. No one is stopping him or the Progressives and the news media is for what ever he wants to do. When you listen to Obama say energy prices will double and triple with my agenda, people will die more quickly with Obamacare, like it's a natural thing that Obama is working for. No problem to destroy our County. Obama and his gang, lead bu Nancy Pelosi and Reid unscrupulous Congressmen and Senators are killing us and they are winning. where is teh Superme Court to help stop this. Machiavelli said Among other things which being unarmed brings you it causes you to dispised, we are unarmed becaue Obama has destroyed the Constitution of the United States and those people who run the Government allowed it, and we the people just stood around and did nothing, because we aare all brain washed by the intertainment busimess, movies, sports, and subliminal massageing off the TV.

What about devaluing the dollar???? Why did you leave that salient point out of the article? Along with all the rest of your excellent points, the dollar is something that's crucial to include. Meanwhile, the fed keeps rolling dem presses :-)

Oh, but the media is in the corrupt bed with the Poison Lollipop Gang (Pelosi, Reid and the Bomber). Let's promise them sugar while we are killing them! Mission is being accomplished unless we stand up quickly and rebel. It is a horror as bad as terrorism to not issue permits for drilling…..people are starving in our country and giving up.(rigs going to Egypt and Africa never to rturn). But we wise ones understand the strategy. They Poison Lollipop Gang's agenda brings them trillions of dollars in profit by their "investing" in foreign manufacturing and "green house global junk"…..oh yes, our "dangerous lightbulb" factories had to close so that the Gorey group could have their new factory in China (including Soros investment in machines at airports that do nothing but humiliate Americans while air cargo with bombs floats through. Those who believe the Poilson Lollipop story are either naive or in bed with that corrupt gang. God please help us now!!!! Let us all pray that we can do the right thing to stop this horror.

Unerringly, the ideology-first Democratic Socialist Party apparachiks and their Progressive minions on both sides of the aisle can always be counted on to keep me breathlessly on edge and angry. I honestly believe the country is on the brink of economic and political ruin simply because that is their insidious plan.

From my lowly vantage point, we're rapidly reaching a tipping point. I honestly don't believe the Republic can survive two more years of neo-Marxism and ecomaniacal tyranny.

Solution: States must 1) push for an immediate Article V Convention to restore constitutional order; 2) exercise their inherent constitutional right to nullify federal orders, edicts and fiats–legislative, executive AND judicial; 3) uncomprommisingly insist upon aggressive congressional investigations of this administration–even impeachment if clearly unavoidable; 4) insist that Congress DEFUND any and all federal bureaucracies and programs which violate their constitutional limitations and authority.

In short, no more Mr. Nice Guy. No more compromising with the alien Progressive blitzkrieg. The GOP House and the several States must take determined–not merely deliberate–action to restore Constitutional order and to regain both economic and political sanity in the government. I acutely sense that our very survival is at stake. To avert a cataclysm, principled and fearless GOP must push back as never before.

I live in a rural area and use propane for heating. Our last tank fill was at $3.50/gallon. That made our heating bill average nearly $400/month for November, nearly double of normal. So, yes, I am very unhappy with the way Obama is handling our "addiction" to oil. There are no alternate sources of heat for me, other than pellet stoves or electric heating. His push for solar and wind power are not cost effective nor are they reliable, even when artifically driving up oil prices under the guise of the global warming hoax.

Intolerable gas prices are the Achilles heel of the Obama admlinistration. Want to defeat him in 2012? Paying higher gas prices, and the resultant economic distress, may be the best solution to doing that. It will be a difficult price to bear, and will mean hardship for many, but it is the surest way to make the point to all that our way of life is fast disappearing. Americans have shown before that they can bear pain and hard times when there is a leadership solution to the problem. Obama has demonstrated conclusively that his leadership is an abject failure, and, worse, that he does not share the values, aspirations and concerns of the American people.

I agree 100%. Pres. Obama's policies are by any standard anti-commerce and anti-achievement. His expressed intentions and desires show he has little understanding of the value of money or of hard work–and his ultimate aim, measured objectively and not by his words, is nothing less than transferring, to the max. extent he can, printed and borrowed and taken money to those who he believes need it regardless of the effect on our country and our future.

I suggest that we initiate TERM LIMITS for Supreme Court, House and Senate and all government jobs. Cut Senate and House staff in half. Cut salaries by at least 20% across the board for all government employees. Cut out lobieists completely; Cut out pork completely. Do what you were voted in to do.

No one is happy about the gas prices, and medical costs but we don't seem to be able to stop it, When GW Bush was the president, some of the most nasty comments were made about him, all the name calling and finger pointing, I only hear good things about our current president from the liberals. Why do we have a double standard? For most of our lives, my family worked a second job if we could not make ends meet or we had medical bills to pay, now people just blame all the bad stuff in their lives on Bush. Quit the nagging, go take a second job, there are lots of things you can do to make extra money, without taking it from those who already hold two jobs. I wish to God I could go to work to help myself now but am confined to a wheelchair, I still have yard sales and make crafts and sell them to help myself. I would work two jobs again if I could and most people complain about the job they have, it just makes me sick to think what our world has come to. So many need to get a backbone, take care of themselves and stop trying to figure out how to beat the system, and stop beating up on those who work and help themselves.

FYI: In Orange county California my husband and I saw a Mobil Station with regular gas at $3.35.9 per gallon. I can't wait until spring when (here in California we have gas additives) the prices may just be really, really close to $4.00. I looked at him and said welcome to Venezuela. Slowley and sometimes not slow we are being pushed right into a third world country. May GOD have mercy on us.

Hearings, hearings and more hearings in the Republican House to discuss, put a stop to this assault on this country and tell the sleepers who turned out to vote in Nov that if they stay home in 1012, they will not have the ability to make their own decisions on anything. Start the hearings on the drilling moratorium, then the new EPA regs and of course, the Death Panels, established under secrecy on a slow news day last week. Do not fund the EPA and HHS. [I do not comment so much anymore, but it seems to me that one "contributor" does not meet the rules in his nonsensical rants.]

The statement as I recall was "Under my plan the energy prices would skyrocket". Sooo, here we go. Stop the exploration and drilling in the Gulf, increase the requirement for ethanol to 15% (read subsidies to the AGRIgiants), food prices and manufacturing increases in costs due to ethanol use of grain products. The drive of this President is toward a "green" economy and all this will achieve that, albiet at a great cost to America and those we support financially. Third world countries will suffer even more due to these increased costs of food products and our inability to provide the relief due to the poor economy. No this is not a dictatorship, but the current version of Marxism, driven by regulatory fiats. Welcome to the world of the VOLT. The vehicle of the future that uses electric (price increasing) and a small fossil fuel engine (prices going up). But look on the bright side, we are paying around double for an American Prius, that is assuming anyone is dumb enough to purchase one.

The United States of America is under attack from within. The well-informed citizen already knows this. The goal has been to undermine our institutions and laws in order to "fundamenatlly transform" (Mr O promised this) America into a European-style Socialist country. This has been the plan all along.

If one took the time to research Mr O's writings, speeches, background and all of his associates in and out of his administration, this would be obvious. He has surrounded himself with some very obvious and admitted Socialists. They aren't interested in a Democracy and Constitutional freedoms for the US. Actually they are well on their way to voiding The Constitution.

Pleading with Obama's minions and liberal Democrats is a waste of time and energy. Saying what should be done is all well and good but, what we citizens must do now is to demand from Republicans and Conservatives everywhere, from local to the federal level, that they must stop this deliberate destruction, expose the actions of these betrayers and demand investigations of those responsible. Rep Issa R-Cal is already planning multiple investigations into fraud and corruption, from both parties. I hope these are well publicized

We also have to uncover and expose those parties behind the scenes who are "pulling the strings" and directing these destructive actions against America.

A lot of damage will be done, some irreversible, in the next 2 years if Americans don't step up now and say "NO MORE".

.iF YOU DELVE DEEP ENOUGH INTO mR o'S BACKGROUND, HIS ASSOCIATES AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN HIS ADMINISTRATION, YOU COULDN'T MISS IT.

What this administration is doing is an outrage. Why are the citizens and the media just sitting there and letting this happen? Where is the outrage from the elected officials who oppose all these "tricks" that Obama is using. Are we going to just sit and watch our country be destroyed or are we going to do something about it?

I do not know about everyone else but the Pres. better get on the ball and get these prices down, we can not stand any of this high gas and dieasel to make a living like they think and just ignore the hole world except their own. Go get them who ever can but us midgets can only stand by the way side and watch as we go down. Big money again and high taxes!

I am not only tired of the Obama regime I am terrified. If they are allowed to continue on this trail of destruction our Republic will not survive.

We need to be self-sufficient, not only as individuals, but as a Country. Our current socialist/Marxist administration is ordereing us in the wrong direction. If they are indeed not socialist/Marxist, as they claim then what are they? They have done nothing right since gaining power – at least nothing right for the country. Let me correct myself "They have done nothing CORRECT since gaining power – at least nothing CORRECT for the country". If they keep on the way they are going there will be nothing LEFT and we, as idividuals will become nothing more than slaves working for our big government dictators.

Ken – you still haven't defined "rich". Also, at what point do you think China will want to be repaid? It seems you feel self reliance is a waste of time and spending other peoples/countries money is in our national interest. If you wish to live in a socialist country where "the government" takes care of you from cradle to grave I suggest you move to a eurosocialist country for a decade then lets us know what you have experienced.

On another matter – inflation is here. My business has experienced a signifcant increase in materials and cost of goods this past year. Gross receipts for my business are slightly less than 2008. Consumers will begin to experience inflation in 2011 and it will get ugly. Of course Bush will be blamed but the reality is that reckless spending (of China's money) by Congress is the culprit. Remember Ken Jarvis – only Congress can write checks – not the President. Congress has the power to say NO and if not done, double digit inflation is right around the corner.

The fact is there is enough Oil and Coal /Nuke Power in this country to last us for a 100 years ,note nuke power has been depressed here for years and it could replace much of our Electric needs at a low cost. As for the autombile it takes Electiricy to run them and with that source being generated from OIL mean there isnt any saving on green house gases! So the Nation has been Lied to by the goverment from back as far as the late 1960s and it doesnt mater weather its the Rs or the Ds in office Dennis Miller Put it Best get a big SUV use it up (OIL) and we can go from there!!

Someone should break the news to Salazar that Global Warming is STILL a hoax. It's way past the time to dump these chumps. I don't even do the "Sibelius" head in the elbow crook anymore including, but not limited to, the cough, sneeze, wretch, vomit, drool, etc.

I am still befuddled that no one is asking the Solar &/or Wind Energy industries to produce actual data that shows their systems can produce enough electricity to replace fossil fuels now used to generate our electrical needs in America.

Wind power generation is NOT both economically & productively viable. That means there is not enough wind to justify the installation of a windmill, since the wind does not blow all the time nor at a rate that can produce a reasonable amount of electricity. Nor is solar practical since all areas of this nation do not get the same amounts of sunlight! Just making those sources economically viable does not mean they are operationally or productively viable under any circumstances.

Both the wind industry and the solar industry used to produce documents showing where their products were viable. Once one gets into areas where there is not enough wind and on a regular basis, a windmill is not only economically a fool's errand, its also operationally a fool's errand. Again, the same is true of solar.

One day, the technology of each "might" make installations of these systems practical. But that day is multiple decades away & the industries themselves admit this. At this point, all everyone is doing is feeding at the taxpayers trough of money congress is throwing at this issue.

Meanwhile, America's costs for fuels, gas, oil or other, continue to rise & will as per President Obama, necessarily skyrocket. All at the disproportionately larger expense of America's poor & moderate income citizens.

But hey, with Cap & trade signed into law via backdoor regulatory imposition on the public, Al Gore will get wealthier since he is heavily invested in the carbon trading commodities exchanges that will collect a cut from every legally forced trade. Nice to have laws written by allies that force citizens to pay you a cut each time they need energy or anything else they can force on us I suppose.

Add to this a United Nations seeking a cut via some sort of international taxation so the UN can operate independently of nation state interferences. Specifically they want American influence neutered. We ask questions UN types & those developing nations special interest caucuses in the UN who vote as a block & force UN actions despite American objections, do not want to answer! This outfit has not only long outlived its practical uses, it has now been co-opted by international socialists who seek a one world order & must take down America to accomplish that. Obviously this answers many of the questions as to what Obama, Pelosi, Reid, & a cabal of others in Congress & their NGO activist organizations, are up to with all these extra-legal activities underway in Washington these past two years!

I wonder when the average middle class American will wake up to the sad, but obvious fact that our own government is intentionally destroying us. When the international elite our Congress works for are finished there will be the elite and their slaves, with nothing in between. I believe the old term was feudalism.

The saddest aspect of this tragedy we are now living is that we freely vote for it.

Well the prospect of $ 5.00 per gallon combined with the bad decisions about oil exploration moritorium… MMMM Me thinks is beginning to make Jammah Cawtah smile again for being reclassified as only the Second Worse…But still First Yoda impersonator … On to 2012 and a new CIC!

Ken Jarvis, why do you support a government that continually deletes every opportunity there was to work to earn wealth on our own? Why are you so envious and jealous? Rich people became that way by using their brains and hard work and figuring things out without holding the hand of government. They did that before they became rich which tells me we all had the potential the government is destroying. Some work harder than others have to but it's all in the cards. Most people understand that, respect it and do what's responsible to live the way they want or can without you or your government telling them how.

You wrote in an earlier comment "give rich have what they want" sarcastically of course. Decent people work for what they want and do not have to be given anything. What most people do need is motivation to work for what they want, not steal from those who have. Have some respect for people.

Gentlepeople, Enjoyed the Morning Bell article "Pay at the Pump",however, in paragraph 5 it's stated that we are experiencing $3.00 gas for the first time in our history. In July of '08 I saw $4.11 gas in my town. At that same the Big Three oil companies were enjoying the greatest 2nd quarter profits in history. 44 billion dollars. Extrapolate that for the year = 176 billion dollars. We annually use 155 billion gals of gasoline. That's over a dollar per gallon profit. Couple that with a 'Blenders Credit' of 49cents per gallon for blending ethanol into our gas supply ,which our government has passed again (.45/gal. this time) and 90% of this credit goes to the oil companies we are just about there for our double dip recession. The recession of '08 started with $147.50/barrel crude oil and those record profits. It seems to me that people made a decision to either keep their jobs and drive to work or stay home and make their house payment. The latter was submitted by the media as to the beginning of the recession. I believe gas prices were the culprit and here we go again $3.19/gal.today. Now we have leadership, or the lack there of, pushing the economy to the very brink of disaster. I believe in ethanol and renewable resources but what is wrong with using our own oil reserves coupled with the new resources. How do you wake up this obsolete and obstinate Government? 2012 is too far away.

Reading through these comments make me aware how off target most people are. Everyone seems to point the finger @ Obama as the culprit. He is a small piece in the puzzle. The true power is operating behind the scene controlling the outcome of all these policies. By all the energy directed @ Obama proves the plan to hoodwink us is working. It's a old magicians trick called sleigh of hands. I don't know the answer but, what I do know is that Obama doesn't have enough power to do what has been going on for a lot longer than him even coming on the scene. Every wicked, planned takeover, power shift, cue always has a fall guy! Look @ history. I'm no religious zealot but, the book of revelations is starting to seem like the closest to me of what's happening. Time

Eliminate the EPA, FCC, DEPT OF EDUCATION, and DEPT OF ENERGY!! Cut 2,200 Federal jobs, cut congressional salaries. Return programs to the states where they rightfully belong. Obama forgets that elected officials work for "We the People" not the other way around! Defund Obamacare as it doesn't care for us. Never before have I been so afraid for my Country. Prepare people!!

It sure is good to be reading some comments from people who can see what is going on. I spend most of my days around younger college students and all of them are blind. They are still infatuated with Obama. Being a student myself, at times of debate I find myself the subject of a massive dehumainizing campaign from my class mates, as well as instructors because I am not blindly following the leader. I suspected it would be that way, however after ten years of service I never would have imagined that the main goal of some of our educational institutions was to turn our younger generations into autamatons. There have been a silent few who after class have made their agreement with my position known. One girl actually told me she was afraid to speak up because of the reaction she see's from the class to something I say. Sad day in America when in an educational institution people are afraid to exercise their first amendment rights. Does not viewing an issue from more than one angle actually encourage learning and critical thinking? It truly seems now that critical thinking means coming to the same conclusions as those that are teaching you to think. I was asked by a head instructor if I was a critical thinker. I explained to her that critical thinking is what led me to investigate possible implications(which we already know) of a nationalized health care system, and this research is what led to my position of being against it. Maybe this is why they don't want you to think. Maybe this is why people who just go along are more accepted than people who question things. This whole subject came up becaue instructors keep refering to Britain and Canada's health care systems, and claim their socities are more caring than ours because of this. I, ofcourse raise my hand and point out the flaws in these systems and I am the uncaring, evil, selfish consevative. After reading this you can probably see why it is refreshing for me to read these posts, it is too bad all of you are not my classmates. God Bless America

As long as there isn't any more refineries made,more drilling on our soil,and this energy problem tackled head-on,we'll continue to pay more,get less,and be a burden to the people of our Country.We can't regulate,stop drilling,then put additional taxes on fuels and expect to see lower energy prices.It would seem that lower Energy prices are not considered because of Political reasons and red tape.Anyone should see that all these ideas amounts to higher prices on energy,higher taxes and nothing to solve the problem as always.,meanwhile the economy suffers as do the poor because of politics.

Of Course the liberal news won't acknowledge or even bring this question up. They want their dear leader to look good while still trashing Bush. Anyone who watches these newscasters should have their heads checked.

I get tired of every thing being blamed on oboma.we don.t wont blame any thing on the ritch fat cats and the republicans.Im.a korean vet.thought i har see it all.but i belive the old boys wiill get it all straighten out for my grand childeran.my regards

as long as oil prices per barrel remain where there at or higher there are a ton of jobs out there servicing wells,halliburton,bj's and other are crying for new employee's,try putting something positive in your articles,cause there are jobs out there if you look, and not buying foreign oil is good for the U.S.

I am amazed that we the people have to put up with this BS. There is a proven process for making fuel out of coal. Hitler used it to furnish fuel for his war machine. It is called the Fisher-Tropch process and it works.

China is using this technology in africa and our own companies are working in cahoots with china to make fuel in china.

This just proves to me that the powers that be do not give a damn about Joe Blow

working stiff..

If anyone out there cares Look up the information on this process of coal gasification, and ask yourselves why we have to tolerate these idiots in our government.

It's the government who's the enemy and the main stream media that's in their front pocket playing pocket pool….the government has no intention to make the middle class any better. Obama is hell bent on completing his agenda and at any cost to the American public. The new legislation that just passed that involves the FCC, FDA, EPA and every other dept. out there, involves making our lives harder and to make their live easier and also to take more from us monitarily, Obama has no intention of restoring the oil rigs in the gulf of Mexico…he made his intention very clear during his campaign when he said that under his administration energy prices would necessarily skyrocket. Therefore, we as Americans, need to be more self reliant and not rely so much on government and we have to remember that they work for us, not the other way around….and to the person who mentioned Fox News, they are the only news agency who is fair and balanced, getting both sides of the issues discussed from both side sand not like main stream media who won't even talk about most issues, but only on those that benefit the left and themselves. Our nation btw is being punished for its failure to acknowledge God and its constant embrace of homosexuality in every facet of life. We have drifted away from God starting in 1963 when the government took out public prayer from schools, then government intrusion into our lives in very incremental steps along the way to where we are today since then, and the

american public have done nothing about it to stop it. It's the liberal minded people who have allowed this to happen and who have allowed our nation to become this sespool of debauchery it has become today. We are on our way to becoming just like the european nations that are currently collapsing in on themselves because of extreme selfishness, pride and their exclusionistic views of God in their lives…..without God, we have no life, only chaos and confussion, anger and strife….Happy New Year.

What do you get when a community organizer w/ socialist-leftist bent gets elected to the highest office without the competence to be a positive leader

and execute the oath of office? Actions of our President border on treason

in ant # of instances, in my opinion. This is what you get when the citizenry are swayed by fast-talk and vote in ignorance vs getting to the meat-of-the-matter and voting intelligently. Literally we should have been on the way to energy independence "electrically" like France uses nuclear. And we dare make mockery of the French……..we are the ones who allowed this to happen to us over the last several decades because we continue to fail to demand the best of our elected representatives. Jefferson I think was right when he said a "little revolution now and then is not a bad thing". Lead…follow, or get out of the way

is an old saying in military circles, which is timely today. Wise up America !

With the economy is shambles, unemployment at an all time high, how are people who are without jobs, have money to buy gas, if the obama admin raises the gas prices & taxes, insurance, health insurance & anything else they think they should, since as obama doesn't pay for anything (we thy?e taxpayers pay for his vacations & etc) he doesn't have to look for a job, have his kids go hungary, lose his home. So how do we as taxpayers stop paying his way?

It is really scary. If you read Roots of Obama's Rage by Dinesh D'Souza you will see that Obama is achieving his goals. You must also read Dreams from My Father as Obama is really living his father's dream. "From a very young age and throughout his formative years, Obama learned to see America as a force for global domination and destruction. He came to view America's military as an instrument of neocolonial occupation. He adopted his father's position that the free market is a code word for economic plunder. Obama grew to perceive the rich as an oppressive class, a kind of neocolonial power within America. He began to detest corporations as institutional mechanisms for economic control and exploitation. In Obama'w worldview, profits are a measure of how effectively you have ripped off the rest of society, and America's power in the world is a measure of how selfishly it consumes the glove's resources and how ruthlessly it bullies and dominates the rest of the planet.

For Obama, the task is simple, he must work to wring the neocolonialism out of America and the West. First, he must rein in the military so that it does not conduct wars of occupation against other countries. Then he must use American leverage to restrict military adventurism on the part of America's allies…Even symbolic measures of humiliation are helpful in showing former European colonialists that their day is now gone. In addition, Obama seeks to check America and Western consumption of global resources so that the former colonial powers do not consume what belongs to others. Another objective for Obama is to bring the power sectors of American industry, … under government supervision and control. Obama seeks a large custodial state as a protection against the dangers of concentrated corporate power. Finally, Obama seeks to castigate and expose the rich, who are viewed as a neocolonial force within American society, so that they cease to be exploiters of the rest of the population." (See chapter 2 of D'Souza's book).

Obama has been successful at regulating the banking industry, taking over health care, ruining the oil industry, promoting expensive and inefficient forms of energy production, taking over private industry, fired private industry officers and creating the largest debt in this country's history … including inflation adjusted debt from WWII.

As stated by then Senator Obama, "the cost of electricity would necessarily skyrocket under his plan." It seems the lame street media has forgetten (or doesn't care) about how the high cost of energy will affect the poor and middle class. This president and the socialists that support him (inside and outside of Washington) have deliberately set us on a course of increased energy costs and a poor economy as they try to force down our throats their energy plan regardless of its negative consequences. 2012 can't come too soon for me. I hope his opponent uses all that he has said and done since he entered the senate and the presidency against him. How any level headed American could vote for him is a mystery to me. But as long as he has 46% of the country getting free handouts from Uncle Sam and millions of liberals and unions under his wing (and the 3 major networks) he will still pose a real challenge unless Americans wake up and see what he is trying to do to this country. When he said he would "fundamentally transform America" he was not kidding. Europe is moving away from big government socialism and we are marching towards it. The results will always be the same. It does not work!

I once read a funny bumper sticker. It read "Save America, spay or nuter a liberal" I thought this was funny, but the truth of the matter is you can only depend on the strength of something for so long when left unattended. Take something like your car, it works great when maintained, if you refuse to take care of it, eventually it will break. We can only do things to destroy our selves in the name of saving our selves for so long, until we won't have resources to repair the damage. Take a look around and see how many young people today are welders, machinists, or tradesman. How are we going to produce anything the worlds needs if we can produce and have no one to do the work. We've lost our value and sense of reality. Actually I think we traded it for the feel good actions of liberalism.

i LOVE THE SENTIMENT AND THE FIRE BURNING IN THE BOSSOM OF aMERICANS AT THIS PRESENT MOMENT.

tHE LACK OF TRUE EMPATHY FROM A PATHETIC HIERACHY (GOVERNMENT) THAT LOOKS ON THE WORLD FROM THE OUTSIDE WITH PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF HOW ALL PEOPLE SHOILD LIVE, EAT SLEEP, SPEND, WORK…..WILL NOT HELP US.

IT SEEMS TO ME THERE ARE TO MANY CAUSES TO HAVE A REAL CAUSE TO FOCUS ON (A.D.H.D.) AND STAY ON A SINGLE COURSE OF ACTION, OR ARE WE ON A COURSE OF DESTRUCTION BECAUSE WE ARE DISTRACTED?

tHE LEADERS (SHOULD) KNOW WHAT WE NEED INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY WANT. YET THEY PLAY WITH OUR MORALITY AND NATIONAL STRUCTURE AS IF IT WERE ALL A PLAYGROUND DISPUTE AT A SCHOOL WHERE THE SMARTEST ONES MANIPULATE THE WEAKER ONES (THOSE WITH A CONSCIENCE) WHO WILL DO WHAT THEY ARE FORCED OR ENCOURAGED TO DO. THEY'LL REEK ALITTLE HAVOC ON THE SCHOOL GROUND TO STIR UP THE POWERS THAT BE AND WHEN THOSE WITH THE TRUE POWER AND AUTHORITY COME TO SHUT IT DOWN, THE ONES WHO STARTED IT ARE GONE (THE BRAINS) AND THE LEGACY THEY LEAVE BEHIND TAKES ALONG TIME TO REMOVE FROM THE MINDS OF THOSE WHO ACTUALLY GOT CAUGHT AND THE WHOLE PLAYGROUND THAT SWALLOWED THEIR POISON HAS TO BE NUTURED BACK TO HEALTH………..

wE NEED JOBS, ENERGY, LESS TAXES AND GOVERNMENT, AND MOST OF ALL A REFOUND LOVE IN OUR COUNTRY.

I keep waiting for the republicans to speak up about this as the dems did back when Bush was president, but I don't hear it. I'm holding off on any more donations to the Republicans. I want to hear them speak out about the issues that concern Americans and sent a message to the current congress. Are they voicing this and the media is not reporting it as they did when the dems were vocal? That would certainly make sense because the media was allover anything anti-Bush.

We voted for President Obama to remove the "oily bushes" and the cheyne growths from the white house. We believed he could control the oil and gas gadzillionaires and prevent a further rape of the consumer who needed to drive to work and heat a house.

Did someone leave the back door open or forget the weed killer? nonononononoononononononononononononono more bucks to crooked oil companies, and let the middle east clean up their own residual mess without us. NO MORE FOREIGN AID TO OIL SHEIKS WHO JUST WANT TO SCREW US OUT OF EVERY LAST $.

We are seeing ourselves slowly,but steadily heading down the tubes! what can we do to save ourselves..looks like we will be turned into a 3rd world country.we have to work! we cannot take to the streets in protest.. who will pay our bills? sending messages to Congress is not working! what will work and stop the agenda to turn our nation inside out?

I both saw and heart then Candidate Obama say on television "I do not believe a man has the right to defend himself." As far as I know his handlers saw to it that he never said that to a live micriphone again. By his statement he branded himself as Ingorant, untrustworthy, and mentally unfit to be the Commander in Chief of the military of this natiion. That single statement of his, made it absolutely impossible for me to vote for him. The statement was irrationa, unprincipled. During the campaign he declared he will negotiate wtth anyone. He thus delcared himself totally ignorant of the states of thought described in abnormal psychology.

It is not the man, but the ISSUE, that is the topic of discussion. The ISSUE is the Constitution, the well being of the population of the United States just to name two.

He is apparently trying to be all things to all people, In so doing he has angered the extreme liberals who backed him, and earned the distrust of those who respect the Constitution he said was far to restrictive during the campaign. The United States needs a President who functions within the Constitution, understands enough history to protect the borders and close them as Mexico did the Southern border it has. Obama will, saddly, never catch on. Hopefully, he will fail to destroy the stability of scoiety – Obama Care contains a provision that gives him the authority to estahlish a constabulary force [ Police State] in an emergency. The constitution does not give the Congress the authority of present that to the President, The super majority Dems did, and Obama signed it as part of the Obamacare bill. I doubt Obama has ever walked what he talked after taking the oath of office he so digilently ignores.

Heartfelt and sincere wishes from Ghana. This morning's topic raises a pertinent and promising issue. Oil revenue will deem to be an important matter in his Administration. A strong government is more often than not determined by equally good economic policies.

Ghana's Oil find will prove telling as far as some of these Opec standards are concerned. Cosmos represents America boldly , and offers important lessons. An amalgamated effort on the part of Africa and America can transform our economic fortunes, especially at the pump.

A strong political commitment as well as individual entrepreneurship might prove a good omen for Ghana's Oil find.

It is about time you start questioning Sheik Obama and the noose tightening around the Middle Classes fiscal neck, with higher energy prices including paying more at the gas pump.

What I find most interesting, the Prince of Saudi Arabia purchases a 1% stake in GM ($500,000,000 investment in the IPO) and the very next week, Sheik Obama flip flops and bans off-shore drilling. Let's see the Prince of Saudi Arabia greases the palms of Obama and the auto union at GM, then obama instructs his Secretary to ban off-shore drilling and gas prices start thier rise. Obama feels entitled to take take take and stick it to taxpayers. He pretends to "care" about the "Middle Class" but the Middle Class are just a tool for the democrats that helps in the class warfare Obama agenda. Prince of Saudi Arabia invests $500 million in GM and Obama bans off-shore drilling.

We need to be very aware; this president is aiming to erase the borders between Canada and Mexico.

The college kids, the housewives who are infatuated with him, and the rest of the yuppies will work hard to re-elect Obama. We need to be prepared to do all that we can to inform those around us as to the evil that is generated from the White House so that they can vote intelligently.

Remember that Obama is all about supporting and propping up unions – this as a payback for putting him in office and as an advance for the help he anticipates for his re-election. Unions– where workers are over-paid and not required to do all that they are capable of doing on the job. Union wages drive up the cost of goods, drive companies to foreign shores, and destroy jobs by pricing us out of the competitive market.

Another factor destroying our economy is the millions (12 to 20 million) of illegals in our country. Pro-illegal forces will tell you that the illegals pay taxes, However, taxes, if any, paid by illegals, do not begin to cover the cost of services to them. Education, health care, and entitlements are putting many cities and states close to or in bankruptcy. Not to mention that they displace or replace many American workers at a time when more than 22 million Americans are unemployed.

Let's hope that the 112th Congress will restore sanity to Washington and treat these problems at the source – – our very liberal laws that protect the law-breakers to the detriment of law-abiding citizens.

[…] two federal courts said the moratorium was illegal, the Obama administration instead moved to a de facto moratorium, by issuing no permits, while speeding up the permitting process for wind farms,” The Heritage Foundation wrote back in December 2010. Jeff McMahon, a blogger for Forbes, […]

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